Distinct Bird Observations Continued at Horseshoe Lake Flats

The unusual occurrence of many birds at the Horseshoe Lake Flats - eastward of Fort Calhoun on the west side of the Missouri River valley - continued during the 2011 autumn season. This locality was a prime space for birding in 2010 with many distinctive observations. The 2011 season was vastly different, as ongoing Missouri River flooding excluded any attempts to determine what was around.

Primary to the two years was a difference in access. With a somewhat lesser extent of flooding in 2010, more visits could occur within the area. In 2011, the roads were blocked during most of the summer, preventing any attempt to record what species were present. It was a vast expanse of ongoing water in the most recent breeding season.

During the autumnal season of 2010, there were many visits which provided various details about the species present. Within much of the same date period in 2011, visits in August and until mid-October, access was available due to the road travel restrictions.

A tally of species noted during the two autumnal season, denotes the following species and numbers counted, during the period indicated:

Common Name	Sep 2010	Oct 2010	Nov 2010	Sep 2011	Oct 2011	Nov 2011
Canada Goose	57	149	-	-	16	6
Wood Duck	7	1	-	-	-	1
Gadwall	-	21	8	-	-	-
American Wigeon	-	4	-	-	-	-
Mallard	-	180	-	-	-	16
Blue-winged Teal	28	2	-	-	-	-
Northern Shoveler	16	12	4	-	32	-
Northern Pintail	-	85	-	-	-	8
Green-winged Teal	-	9	-	-	-	-
Redhead	-	6	-	-	-	-
Lesser Scaup	-	2	-	-	-	-
Common Goldeneye	-	-	-	-	-	1
Hooded Merganser	-	-	-	-	-	3
Ring-necked Pheasant	-	6	-	-	-	-
Wild Turkey	-	-	-	-	-	19
Pied-billed Grebe	14	55	-	-	10	-
American White Pelican	-	116	-	-	-	-
Double-crested Cormorant	-	4	-	-	-	-
Great Blue Heron	24	62	-	2	-	-
Great Egret	-	59	4	-	-	-
Cattle Egret	-	1	-	-	-	-
Bald Eagle	1	14	-	-	3	2
Northern Harrier	1	1	2	-	-	-
Cooper's Hawk	-	1	1	-	-	-
Red-tailed Hawk	1	1	-	-	1	1
American Kestrel	-	1	1	-	-	1
Merlin	-	-	-	-	-	1
Common Moorhen	-	-	-	-	1	-
American Coot	-	3087	72	-	1	-
Black-bellied Plover	1	-	-	-	13	-
American Golden-Plover	-	-	-	-	915	34
Killdeer	82	62	-	-	835	317
Spotted Sandpiper	2	-	-	-	-	-
Greater Yellowlegs	2	2	-	-	-	-
Lesser Yellowlegs	20	5	-	-	5	-
Upland Sandpiper	1	-	-	-	-	-
Sanderling	-	-	-	-	19	-
Semipalmated Sandpiper	5	-	-	-	26	-
Least Sandpiper	16	-	-	-	73	1
Baird's Sandpiper	-	-	-	-	21	-
Pectoral Sandpiper	6	-	-	-	10	-
Stilt Sandpiper	20	-	-	-	-	-
Short-billed Dowitcher	2	-	-	-	-	-
Long-billed Dowitcher	8	-	-	-	41	-
Wilson's Snipe	2	6	-	-	14	7
Wilson's Phalarope	22	-	-	-	-	-
Red-necked Phalarope	3	-	-	-	-	-
Bonaparte's Gull	-	-	-	-	2	-
Ring-billed Gull	-	341	-	-	113	177
Rock Pigeon	1	25	-	-	-	-
Mourning Dove	3	3	-	2	-	-
Great Horned Owl	-	1	-	-	-	-
Belted Kingfisher	-	4	-	1	1	1
Red-headed Woodpecker	1	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Kingbird	2	-	-	-	-	-
Warbling Vireo	1	-	-	-	-	-
Blue Jay	2	1	-	1	-	-
American Crow	2	2	-	-	3	-
Horned Lark	-	3	-	-	-	-
Tree Swallow	-	1100	-	-	-	-
Bank Swallow	20	-	-	-	-	-
Cliff Swallow	10	-	-	-	-	-
Barn Swallow	10	275	-	6	10	-
Sedge Wren	3	-	-	-	-	-
Marsh Wren	-	8	-	-	-	-
Eastern Bluebird	-	1	-	-	-	-
American Robin	1	-	-	-	-	-
European Starling	135	22	-	-	23	54
American Pipit	-	-	-	-	91	1
American Tree Sparrow	-	-	0	-	-	-
Field Sparrow	1	-	1	-	-	-
Vesper Sparrow	-	0	-	-	-	-
Savannah Sparrow	-	5	-	-	-	-
Fox Sparrow	-	0	-	-	-	-
Song Sparrow	1	0	-	-	-	-
Lincoln's Sparrow	-	28	-	-	-	-
Swamp Sparrow	-	1	-	-	-	-
White-throated Sparrow	-	0	-	-	-	-
Harris's Sparrow	-	0	-	-	-	-
Snow Bunting	-	-	-	-	2	-
Red-winged Blackbird	5	4045	-	-	-	-
Common Grackle	-	25	-	-	-	-
Brown-headed Cowbird	-	7	-	-	-	-
American Goldfinch	4	16	-	5	-	-
House Sparrow	8	3	-	5	-	-

The overall tally is 85 species during the autumn at this recognized locality.

During 2010, a list derived from ten visits indicates the occurrence of 74 distinct species.

Once the roads were passable to some extent this year - after September 22nd - notable bird records resulted from eleven visits by local bird watchers. There were, however, only 39 species documented. Several species had already departed for elsewhere by this time.

Prominent was the number of American Golden-Plover, as already indicated. Killdeer were prominent, though there were fewer than last year. Many other shorebirds were present, taking advantage of the mud/sand flats with a receding extent of water on the flats. Some of the property was within the boundaries of the Boyer Chute NWR, with adjacent tracts privately owned.

Few songbirds were noted since their habitat was not accessible to walk-about for any sort of consideration.

Surprising were the two Snow Bunting noted in all their birdly splendor in late October, among the shorebirds. They were early in their arrival, according to the norm.

For many of these species, their occurrence was a result of riverine flooding during both years. Water action provided bare mud flats where many birds - especially shorebirds - found suitable habitat to forage and spend an extended period of time.

A similar situation elsewhere along the Missouri River, would have derived the same benefits. There is a dearth of details for similar conditions elsewhere along the valley.